"Rearing and flipping over backwards is the single most dangerous thing a horse can do!"

Why does a horse rear?Rearing is a refusal to go forward or an evasion to your "go forward" aids or cues!""

How do you fix a rearing problem? Simply put, "keep the horse's feet moving in any direction except backwards!" It is impossible for a horse to rear while in a canter. In the video at the bottom of the page you will find a a detailed explanation of the two most common methods to fix this unwanted behavior.

Over the years, countless people and horses have been seriously injured or even killed by this type of unwanted behavior. This behavior is not to be taken lightly. A horse can go 6 different directions: forward, back, left, right, down, and UP! The truth is that it can happen at anytime without any warning from the horse or action on your part. If you have a horse that is starting to rear, seek help from a professional before you or your horse get seriously injured or even killed. "It is better to put a welt on the horse's butt than have the horse put you in the grave!"

Western Dressage

"The Keys to Success" "Luck?"

You gotta love it here in the Northwestern Houston area, another beautiful day here in Texas. Just think 12 hours ago a strong frontal band of showers came through causing flash floods, lighting, thunder, and the threat of tornados. Texas is defiantly the place to be to watch this new sport of Working Equitation grow in the USA. Another great opportunity for Lisa and Carbon to improve their communication, but first I would like to give a big thanks to the folks at Sandhaven Performance Horses, Kellee Campbell, Bruce W. Menke, and Rebecca L Algar for working so hard to make this schooling event happen.

So what are the keys to success? "Good Luck Lisa, Have a Good Ride" This is what Lisa heard while going into the arena to rider her tests. You got to love the spirt of encouragement at this show. All the competitors are really great. I am not a believer of fate or luck, but I believe circumstance has a lot to do with how opportunities present themselves. "Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity”. Luck isn't just about being at the right place at the right time, but also about being open to and ready for new opportunities. Lucky people generate their own good fortune via four basic principles. They are skilled at creating and noticing chance opportunities, make lucky decisions by listening to their intuition, create self-fulfilling prophesies via positive expectations, and adopt a resilient attitude that transforms bad luck into good.

So is Lisa lucky in regards to her recent success with Carbon and Working Equitation? Only by the pervious definition of lucky, let me explain: It all starts with preparation, Lisa has spent 23 dedicated years working hard with horses. She has spent countless hours on a lunge line working on balance and her seat. She has learned how a horse thinks. She has learned the importance of her aids and how to teach cues. She understands the definition of discipling and how to create opportunities to reward for good behavior. Now that the preparation was complete, what next?

Next is noticing opportunities. About a year ago Lisa noticed a well trained QH named Carbon.. She liked the way he was trained and the way he moved. By listening to her intuition she started down a road. She could tell by her powers of observations that the truth was in the behavior of the horse. Also she could tell that the horse was prepared for luck. Only one thing stood in her way for success.

Positive expectations and adopting a resilient attitude. As soon as Lisa started down this road of self-fulling prophesy, she met up with huge amount of resistance from some of her unlucky associates. Some people did not want her to succeed. The more she probed and investigated the background and the integrity of this trainer and his horse, the more resistance and lies she encountered. Lisa is a truth seeker and was looking for the truth, the lies just did not make sense to what she was observing. Things just did not add up in her mind. This guy and his horse were extremely different from the rest of the crowed. What made this guy different? There came a time when it was time to stop listening to all the unlucky folks and do what her heart felt was right. What are the results? Well the results are not all in yet, but the future looks bright enough to get darker sunglasses.

What about you? Are you lucky or unlucky? Do you like where you are in your horsemanship skills. Do you peck the ground like a chicken, or walk with the turkeys, or do you want to soar with the eagles? All I can say is learn from Lisa’s example, she is truly an inspiration.

Oh did I say Lisa won another blue ribbon at the advancel level.. You go girl..

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